Hi Geraldine,
I know you are looking for people with actual experience, and I don't have it.
However, two of my friends were involved with Peace Boat some time ago (come to think of it, it would be about 10 years ago... wow, time flies), and they actually went on a trip. They were not volunteer translators, but maybe they can give you a general idea about the boat and the organization.
Don't be surprised if you get a direct email on your hotmail address.

I remember hearing from them that the time you spend inside the boat is awfully long compared to the brief trips that you do at the various ports. They had this feeling even though they did not do the whole around-the-World thing, just part of it. That is something to consider, depending on your personality, and how you deal with boredom and/or monotony.

I also remember comments about the level of service, in other words, this is really not a regular cruise, the whole thing is based on volunteers, not professionals. This is another thing to consider, when you think about the day to day operation, the basic services needed to handle passengers and their daily needs.

As far as I know, even if you are a volunteer, you do not get a free ride. They give discounts to people volunteering for the organization, for example you can earn points or credit by working for one of their offices for several months or years if you want, and use it for a future cruise. When I looked at the prices, they seemed high to me, even with the possible discounts.

Now, all this is based on what I heard 10 years ago, and it is more about general life on the boat. Try to get as much info as you can, decide what the pros and cons are and whether it is a good opportunity for professional development.

Katalin

[Edited at 2009-10-29 14:51 GMT]

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"Regular" passengers can get discounts by getting involved in some volunteer activities.
However, Interpreters (and teachers) do get a free ride and full board.

It seems that the lack of competent people even forces them to fly some of their staff in from Tokyo to interpret at some of the conferences (that is what was initially proposed to me, but I don't live in Tokyo at the moment)

I suppose passengers would not have much to do, but considering the fact that interpreters have to work on several meetings every day including when the ship is at sea, I imagine they would be very busy. I would really like to check this with someone who has actually been on the job.

I would like to know if it can be a valuable experience from the professional point of view (I already know that a couple of days in every port is not enough for tourism, especially when you are the interpreter)...

But as I said in another thread, there are other things to consider, such as putting one's business and one's husband on hold for three month...

For now, I am more attracted by the idea of working with them once I get back to Japan in a couple of years, rather than by the idea of going on the cruise for three months. But I am just curious, and trying to get some information.

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